We are going to talk about Easter in Tobarra.

People live Easter in a different way depending on the age. Children like going to fairs and processions and playing drums with their parents. They also participate in the School 'tamborada'. At that moment everybody can start playing the drum. On the other hand, adults spend more time than young people in bars and pubs. Another thing they usually do is going to the procession as bearers.Now, we are going to tell you about what young people normally do. On Holy Wednesday, they meet in 'garutos' (places where groups of friends meet to spend time together) for eating and drinking. After that, they go out to streets to play drums together from 4 p.m. At night they prefer playing the drum and drinking long hours in a street called Fire's Street. This is not a problem for not going to important events during the day, like the blessing on the Calvary or the meeting between Jesus Christ and his mother.At Easter, everybody wears special clothes called robes which are very similar for everybody but more and more people are personalizing them. Typical robes' colours are purple and red, but people personalize their robes with more colours, pockets, scarfs...Typical food at Easter are "panecicos dulces", "empanadilla", "moje", "ensaladilla", "atascaburras", etc.In Tobarra we have some special monuments dedicated to Easter like Drum's monument and Nazarene's monument.If you visit us, you will know more about it and you will enjoy a lot.
By: Carmen Guirado, Pedro Moreno, Sebas Iniesta, Marta Córcoles

EASTER IN TOBARRA FOR US

In Tobarra, Easter is the most important event in the year. People prepare this week all the year, since the day after Easter ends. Fifteen days before Easter, the first event called 'The Drums Exaltation' takes place. It´s a concentration of all the towns of Spain who play drums. There are twenty-two towns: Tobarra, Hellín, Moratalla, Baena or Teruel are some of them. Each year this event is celebrated in a different place. We like it because is the first contact with our beloved instruments. This year is going to be place in L´Alcora (Castellón).

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The previous Saturday is the first act in Tobarra: 'The Opening Speech'. In this event a popular person in the town is chosen to speak about his/her own experiences about Easter and at the end of the speech the person says:
"IT´S EASTER IN TOBARRA".

On Sunday morning we have 'The Palm Sunday'. It´s the first procession of the year. People have palms in their hands and walk around the town with the saint called in Tobarra: 'La Burrica'.

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On Holy Monday night is 'The Memory Procession'. This procession is dedicated to people who have died. It´s a formal procession in which family and friends go in procession and carry on a Cross and a Thorn Crown in memory of them.


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On Holy Tuesday, the descent of 'Saint Sepulcher' takes place, followed by 'The Prayer in the Calvary Procession'.

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by: Mari Carmen Bueno and Antonio García



OUR EXPERIENCE AT EASTER

On early days at Easter, in our houses, we prepare the drums and the robe to begin playing the drum on Holy Wednesday at 3pm and we finish playing on Easter Sunday at 12pm, because in Tobarra it is a tradition to play the drum during 104 hours.

We usually play the drums with our "cuadrillas" along the strests of Tobarra, and we visit the "Drum's Museum", the Nazarene's monument" and the "Drum's monument".

Also we prepare the penitent robe to walk along the streets with our Lay Brotherhoods called "Verónica and Magdalena" in the processions.

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One of the most important days at Easter is Good Friday morning, because penitents in processions and drum players go to the calvary and when everybody is in there one person plays the trumpet and people are in silence. After, while the music band plays the "Mektub", the Nazarene Saint give us the blessing.
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by: Sonia Pedrosa and Pilar Moreno.


THE SCHOOL TAMBORADA IN TOBARRA

In 1982 the school tamborada began in Tobarra. Children from all schools go up with their teachers to play the drums.
This tamborada began because on Holy Wednesday, children were at school and in the town it was Easter but the drums began at four o´clock. Then they decided that "children started the drumbeat".
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Every year one school is responsible for preparing the banner announcing the school tamborada and also the snacks for all participants.
All the children go to school and parade to the townhall.
When all children arrive at four o´clock the tamborada begins. Together they walk along the streets playing the drum from the townhall to the bullring. Then they eat snacks.
The tamborada begins!
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Mila Iniesta, Marisol Urrea y MªJesús Urrea
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